Coda: The New Beginning
by mjrstorm
Summary: The authorities have finally caught up with Erik and he is forced into therapy. If he can prove that he is a changed man, then he can go free. His therapist, one day, suggests he get a dog to see if taking care of an animal that gives unconditional love will help him change. This is the story of the Opera Ghost and his dog, Coda.


One

"A dog will really help you heal, Erik. It can help you become responsible and keep you busy. What do you say?" Dr. Mercier, despite being a celebrated therapist, was an absolute idiot in Erik's mind. She was convinced that she could change him, make him a better person, or help him function in society. Why did he have to get caught and forced into this moronic therapy? He didn't _want _to be a part of society. He was perfectly fine staying in the Opera House's basement, surrounded by his music, his only source of joy after…

"I could take you to a shelter and you could pick any dog that you like. We could also get anything you may need to keep the dog healthy, because I will not let you kill this creature. The goal of this therapy is to _blah blah blah blah blah…_"

Erik's attention drifted. He started tapping his fingers on his legs rhythmically, pretending he was playing his organ. The new music he had been working on was a lot more complicated than his usual works and he would much rather be working on it than sitting in this brightly lit room for an hour once a week. Dr Mercier talked way too much and asked him questions that he never got around to answering. After going to her for half a year, they had accomplished nothing.

"Fine. I'll get the dog. But it won't be my fault if something terribly tragic happens to it, right?" He could just get the dog, pretend to care, and then push it off his boat or something; he would be creative with it. He remember Dr. Mercier asking him on the first day of his sessions why he thought he killed people. "Something to do, I guess." There was a deeper reason, but no amount of therapy could help him overcome his torturous life's story.

He couldn't go out on the street without people turning their heads away from him. They switched the side of the street they were walking on to keep away, even diving into heavy traffic without a thought except to get away from him. He had tried to keep his deformity hidden with his signature white mask, but that just rouse more suspicions and made people recognize him. His secret had been revealed when the police caught him and now, the whole city of Paris and half the country knew that the Phantom of the Opera was a cruel murder in a white half mask. Now, if Erik went out, he had to pull his hood up and pray that no one saw his face.

The doctor sighed and wrote things down in her notebook. It was a hideous book, with lilac pages and floral decorations on the cover. Erik never tired of the simplicity of parchment paper. Why someone would color paper was beyond him.

"Would you like to go get the dog now? I have time and I am _positive_ you do as well." "Fine, let's get this over with." Erik stood up as he said this and the doctor did as well. She walked across the room to get her jacket, for the warmth of spring had not quite arrived yet, and Erik waited at the door. They went down the stairs to the street level of the building and just before Mercier opened the door, Erik pulled up the hood of his coat over his head, hiding his face.

They walked in silence down the mostly empty street. It was around lunchtime, so most people were inside. _Good riddance_, thought Erik. He followed Mercier as she turned right and left and right again, then left, until Erik was positively lost. He didn't get out enough to know his way around the city. _At least _she_ knows where we're going._

They went inside a building called _Maison Animaux _and Erik was immediately hit with a barrage of sounds and scents from the enormous quantity of animals. Mercier went over to the man running the shelter and began chatting with him. Erik looked around from underneath his hood and stood silently by the door. Then, Mercier beckoned him over to where she was. He sighed and walked over, receiving some questionable looks from the shopkeeper.

"Georges says that there are a few dogs toward the back of the building. Let's go look." The doctor happily led Erik toward the back, through the aisles loaded with random assortments of pets and supplies. The animals began to make loud noises as Erik walked by them. _Even animals hate me. _He had little experience with animals of any kind. He had enough trouble dealing with people that animals seemed like too much work.

The dogs were a back room that was visible through a glass window. Erik could see at least a dozen dogs of all shapes, sizes, and colors running amok with each other. An assortment of toys and balls were strewn all across the floor and some water and food bowls were set aside in the corners. Mercier immediately began pointing out any she believed were 'cute' or 'charming'.

The man let him in the room, Erik practically pushed in by Mercier, and immediately, and all the dogs shied away from where Erik was standing. He sighed and thought, _This is so pointless. The dogs are better judges of character than that idiot doctor. _Distracted by his thoughts, Erik almost didn't notice one dog come up to him and sit down next to him. It was a black dog, with a little bit of white around its nose and on its tail.

Erik looked down at the dog in confusion. The dog looked up at him and, he could have sworn that it smiled at him. He turned around to get a better look at this fearless dog. It continued to look up at him and smile, its long tongue hanging out of its mouth and its white teeth showing a little.

"That one came to us a while ago. We found him on the street and brought him in. I think he was already trained, because he understand commands and everything! He isolates himself from the others though. If he was more friendly, he would have been adopted by now. He seems to like you, though." The man and Mercier entered the room with Erik and the dogs, and of corse all the dogs ran to them except for the black dog. Mercier immediately began petting every dog within her reach.

Erik looked uneasily at the one sitting near him, and it stared back at him like the world revolved around him. He shakily reached out its had and pat it a few times on the head. As he was pulling his hand away, the dog licked it. He quickly brought his hand back and started wiping it on his jacket. _I hope Mercier didn't see that, or she'll think I actually have feelings. I like this dog, though. Maybe I'll actually keep it._

"I think this one will do," Erik said out loud. The doctor beamed with delight that her plan had been set in motion, and then began discussing details with the man. Erik looked down at the dog and smiled faintly. It stood up and bumped its head into his leg, catching him by surprise. Erik lost his balance for a moment and his hood slipped from his head, exposing his distortion. He froze, staring at the dog and hoping that it wouldn't run away like everyone else. The dog seemed unaffected by his face, and continued to nudge Erik. "I suppose I should give you a name, since you're staying with me," Erik said quietly to the dog. He thought for a while, going through an encyclopedia of musical terms that he had in his mind. None of them seemed like a fitting for any dog except for…

"Coda?" The dog barked at the sound of its new name. Erik smiled, forgetting everyone that hurt him, everything that had bothered him about life, and the fact that his raw face was exposed for anyone to see. He didn't care about any of that, for a while. He had found somebody that could be there for him, that would accept him for how he was, and that somebody was a forgotten black dog named Coda.


End file.
